 |
Introductory
Note:
- In uttering
consonants, there is partial or complete obstruction in
the mouth, with or without an obstruction in the larynx
as well. The obstruction or closure in the mouth, if complete,
has to be released befor speech-sounds can be produced.
This is usually done in such a manner that the breath is
released suddenly, making an ``explosive sound''. Hence
the consonants thus produced are called explosives or plosives
(or stops). Such are, for example, the consonants b, d,
g, k, p, t.
- Consonants
uttered with a partial obstruction in the mouth so that
there is friction of the outgoing breath against some part
of the mouth, (resulting in a ``hissing'' sound) are called
friction sounds or fricatives or spirants. Such are, for
example, f, s, v, z. (Some of these sounds have the name
sibilants).
- Consonants
uttered with a partial or complete obstruction in the mouth,
with an obstruction in the larynx (hence with a vibration
of the vocal chords), are called voiced or soft. Such are,
for exmaple, the `plosives' b, d, g and the `fricatives'
v and z. (All the vowels are, of course, ``voiced)''.
- Consonants
uttered without an obstruction in the larynx (hence without
the vibration of the vocal chords) are called voiceless
or hard. Such are, for example, k, p, t of the `plosive'
and f and s of the `fricatives'.
- Some consonants
are uttered with aspiration or h-sound. These are called
aspirates. Such are, for example, the ckh in a word like
blockhead, or the gh in a word like log-house- (ckh being
an ``unvoiced aspirate'' and gh being a ``voiced aspirate''
when pronounced as a single sound without pause between
ck and h, and g and h).
- The partial
or complete obstruction in the mouth can occur in any part
of it, with the help of the tongue, lips and the (upper)
teeth, and thus give rise to the various ``classes'' of
consonants. Thus, for example, p and b are bi-labial stops,
t and d are dental stops, s and z are alveolar fricatives,
and f and v are labio-dental fricatives.
- In pronouncing
some plosive, the breath is emitted through the nose. These
are called nasals (such as n and m).
- In pronouncing
some consonants, the tip of the tongue is ``inverted'' and
touches the hard plate. These are called retroflex consonants.
- In uttering
some consonants of this (r etroflex) class, the inverted
tongue ``flaps'' against the hard palate. These are called
flapped retroflexes.
- The consonant
r is trilled consonant. It is formed by ``a rapid succession
of trill of the tongue-tip'' against the ridge of the upper
teeth.
- The consonant
l is called a lateral consonant; it is formed by placing
the tongue against the hard palate while the air escapes
on one or both the sides.
- Some consonants
(like y and w) are called semi-vowels; they are between
a consonant and a vowel, hence this name.
- If the closure
in the mouth [see(a) above] is released slowly instead of
rapidly, it results in air-friction and the plosive is combined
with a fracative. Consonants thus formed are called affricates.
The ch in church and j in june etc. are affricates.
- The first twenty-five
consonants, to , are divided into five classes:-
are Soft-palatals (Ka-varga, i.e. ka-class)
are Palatals (Ka-varga, i.e. ca-class)
are Cerebrals or Retroflexes (Ta-varga, i.e. ta-class)
are Dentals (Ta-varga, i.e. ta-class).
are (Bi) Labials (Pa-varga, i.e. pa-class).
Note
:- is in ta-class, but it is alveolar and not dental.
These twenty-five consonants are stops.
(b)
The second letters of each class, i.e. , , , and
are ``aspirarted'' forms of the corresponding first letters
, , , and . Similarly, the fourth letters in each
class , , , , and , are aspirated forms of the
corresponding third letters, , , , and ; they are
pronounced with an h-sound. The first and the second letters
of each class are ``voiceless'', the remaining three are
``voiced.''
(c)
The fifth letters of each class, , , , and are
nasals.
Note:-
In this and the following sections, the inherent in
etc. has been ignored.
- The Soft-palatals
or Vealars are pronounced with the back of the tongue touching
the soft palate.
(k) is pronounced like the k in speaker: ŝ (kab) `when?'
şܥ (kamal) lotus'.
(kh) is aspirated , pronounced like the ckh in blockhead
(but as a single sound): ܊ `bird' ܒܥ (khatmal) `bug'.
(g) is pronounced as the g in go: ܣ (garam) `hot', ܣڛ
(gardan) `neck'.
(gh) is aspirated pronounced like the gh (as a single
sound) in log-house: ܣ (ghar) `house'.
(n) is pronounced as the ng in sing, or in England :
(ang) `body' ܌Ê (sang) `company'.
Note:
The aspirated consonants should be clearly distinguished
from the non-aspirates: is to be pronounced as kh, i.e.
(k) with a distinct h soun; , similary, is to be pronounced
as gh, i.e.g () with a distinctly audible h-sound; and
so on.
- The Palatals
are sounded with the front of the tongue touching (or, in
case of almost touching), the hard palate i.e.the part
at the back of the teeth-ridge.
(c) is pronounced like the ch in much (but as a single unaspirated
sound): ܒܒ (cat-pat) `quickly' ܜ (capat) `slap'.
(ch) is aspirated , pronounced like the chh (as a single
sound) in church-hill: (chat) `roof, ceiling', (chal)
`deceit, fraud'.
(j) is pronounced as the j in thge jaw (but as a single
sound): ܝ (jab) `when', ܡ (jay) `victory',
(jh) is aspirated , pronounced like the dgeh (as a single
sound) in hedgehog: ܒ (jhat) `quickly, at once', ܥ܈
(Jhalak) `jhalak `glimpse, shine'.
(n) is similar to a ``week'' pronunciation of n in pinch
: more or less like a nasalized y (of yes) : ܰÍ (panc)
`five', (ܑÍ) (manc) `stage, platform'.
- The Cerebrals
(or Retroflex sounds) are pronounced with the underside
of the tip of the tongue curled backwards, and placed against
the top of the palate.
(t) is pronounced somewhat similar to t in part but with
the tongue curled backwards: (tan) `ton', ܒ (tamtam)
`tandem'.
(th) is aspirated , pronounced like the in thin if pronounced
with a louder aspiration: ؊ (thag) `thug, cheat'.
(d) is similar to d in hard, but pronounced, like , with
the tip of the tongue curled backwards : ٣ (dar) `fear',
ي (dag) `foot, step'.
(dh) is aspirated and is pronounced like dh as a single
sound in `childhood' : (dhab) `way, manner.'
(n) is like a n, pronounced, as in the case of and ,
with the tip of the tongue curled backwards and touching
the top of the palate [rn] `debt', ܵ (gan) `group,
people'. ( occurs onlyin borrowed Sanskrit words, and
even in them, never in the beginning of a word).
Note
:- The Cerebrals are special Indian sounds with no parallels
in English.
- The Dentals
are pronounced with the tip of the tongue spread out and
touching the upper teeth, not the gums (or teeth-ridge),
as in pronouncing English t. However, has the same point
of articulation as English n.
(t) is similar to the Italian pronunciation of t: ܝ (tab)
`then', ܒ (tat) `bank, coast'.
(th) is aspirated , approximately like `th' in `thumb'
: ܛ (than) `dug, teat'.
(d) is similar to the Italian pronunciation of d: ڟܛ
(daman) `suppression, control', ڬ (das) `ten'.
(dh) is aspirated : ܛ (dhan) `money, wealth',
(dhar) `trunk, body'.
(n) is identical with English n in not, etc. :܊ܣ (nagar)
`town', ܟ܈ (namak) `salt'.
- The Labials
are pronounced with the two lips pressed together and then
(immediately)separated.
(p) : ܈ (pakar) ܍ܜܛ (pacpan) `fifty-five'.
(ph) is aspirated , pronounced as the ph (as a single sound)
in loophole not as in physics [fiziks], nor as the f om fox
: ť (phal) `fruit', ś, (phan) `hood of a serpent'.
(b)=b ܒ (button,' ܣ (bargad) `banyan tree.'
(bh) is aspirated , pronounced like the bh (as a single
sound) in club house : ܡ (bhay) `fear', ܨܛ (bhavan)
`house'.
(m)=m : ܊ܣ (magar) `but; crocodile', ܛ (man) `mind'.
10.
(y) is a semi-vowel, i.e.a vowel (i) used as a consonant
It is pronounced like the y in young and is ``voiced'' :
(yah) `this, heܩ (ya's) `fame'.
- (r) is a
``trilled'' and ``voiced'' consonant. In uttering it, the
tip of the tongue taps several times in quick succession
against the ridge of the upper teeth. It is quite unlike
the English r. Ĭ (rais) `rich, wealthy (man)' (ras)
`juice, taste.'
- (l) is ``voiced''
and pronounced with the tip of the tongue pressed against
the upper gums, while the air is allowed to escape on one
or both the sides. It is similar to the l in long : ܍܈
(lacak), `elasticity', ۣ (lahar) `wave'.
- (v) is ``voiced''
and formed by bringing the lower lip close to the upper
teeth and the uper lip and allowing the air to pass through
them. Thus, it is a ``fricative'' or ``friction-sound''
so far as Hindiis concerned : ܛ (van), `forest,' ܍ܛ
(vacan) `word, speech, statement'. [When, however, is
combined with a preceding consonant, it changes into a pure
semi-vowe, pronounced by ``rounding and pushing forward
the lips'' (without allowing them to touch), and is similar
to English w].
- , and
are sibilants or ``hissing'' sounds. They are ``voiceless''
friction-sounds( fricatives).
- (s) is very
much like the English sh in shut etc. It is pronounced with
the tip of the tongue touching the palate: (܈ţ ) `sugar',
ۣ (sahar) `city'.
- (s) occurs
only in borrowed Sanskrit words. So far as Hindi is concerned,
it is iidentical in pronunciation with : ܒ (sat) `six'
- (s) is pronounced
with the tip of the tongue pressed against the ridge of
the upper teeth. It is identical with Enlish s in some etc.
(not in easy etc.) : ܝ (sab) `all', ܟܐ (samajh),
`understanding'.
- (h) is a
``fricative'' consonant similar to the h in perhaps, behind,
etc. (not in hard, hit etc.) It is ``voiceless'' when it
occurs at the beginning of a word, but ``voiced'' otherwise,:
۟ (ham) `we', ۥ (hal) `plough'.
- (1) (r)
and (rh) are called ``retroflex flapped consonants''.
They are pronounced by curling the tip of the tongue backwards
and by `flapping', i.e. striking with a jerk, against as
wide an area of the top of the palate as possible. They
are ``voiced''.
(2) is similar
to American r as in `very' and pronounced as a cerebral
letter. See () is aspirated : (jar) `root',
(bar) `banyan tree', ܁ (garh) `stronghold' ܁ (parh)
`read! (thou)'.
(3) and
never occur in the beginning of a word.
(4) They are
not to be confused with and ( nor treated as their modifications).
(5) They are
pure Hindi sounds, never occurring in pure words borrowed
from Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic or English.
- The sign :
(h) is called `visarga'. It has the sound of a ``voiced''
in Hindi. It occurs almost exclusively in Sanskrit words
(:, : are exceptions) borrowed into Hindi, and always
preceded by a vowel : : (atah) `hence', ť: (phalatah)
`consequently'.
- The consonant
(q) occurs only in borrowwed Arabic, Persian and Turkish
words. It is ``voiceless'' and is produced by pronouncing
as far back in the the throat as possible : (qad)`size,
height', ܃ (qatai) `altogether'.
- }, $, {,
and are ``fricative'' consonants (made like , ,
and by friction of breath). The first two occur only
in borrowed Arabic and Persian words, the last two in words
borrowed from English as well as from Arabic and Persian.
} and are ``voiceless'', while $ and are ``voiced''.
- } (x) and
$ (g) are pronounced much farther back than } and $
. They also differ from the latter two consonants in as
much as the air-passage is only narrowed (not colsed as
in pronouncing and : }ܝܣ (xabar) `news, message',
$ܟ (gam) `sorrow'.
- { (z) is proncunced
like English z in zebra, etc. It is alveolar. { is not
a modification of , but the ``voiced '' form of . ۣ
(zahar) poison'.
- is similar
to the English f in father, etc. It is not a modification
of , since, unlike the latter, (and like , 13), it is
pronounced with the lower lip pressed against the upper
teeth while the air forces its way between them :
(faqat) `only, solely', (fatah) `victory'. [In pronouncing
, the lower lip is pressed against the upper lip, and
no air is allowed to escape, until the consonant is actually
uttered. is, in fact, the ``voiceless'' form of fricative
().]
- The sounds
, }, $, {, and are restricted to the learned
and the correct pronunciation of loan-words from Arabic,
Persian, Turkish and English. In common speech, they are
usually replaced by , , , and .
- As a help to
memory and practice in writing, the Hindi letters may be
arranged in the following nine groups in accordance with
their written forms:-
- , , ,
,
- , , ,
,
- , , ,
- , , ,
,
- , , ,
, , ,
- , , ,
, , , , , ,
- , , , ,
, ,
- , , ,
, , ,
- , , ܽ,
ܾ.
27A. (i) The first
two consonants of each class (Varga), and , , and
(at the beginning of a word only) are ``Voiceless''.
(ii) The rest
of the consonants are ``voiced''.
(iii) All the
vowels are also ``Voiced''.
(iv) , , ,
, are ``Voiceless Aspirates''.
(v) , , ,
, are ``Voiced Aspirates''.
(vi) , , ,
, , }, $, {, are ``Voiced''. as given above is
``Voiceless'' in the beginning of the word and ``Voiced''
elsewhere.
(vii) `:' (Visarga)
is ``Voiced'' .
(viii) [For aspirated
, and see 45(e)].
``Fricatives''
of which , , , } and are
of which , .
|
|
